


Pink and Purple

by JostenlovesMinyard



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: AFTG Exchange Fall 2020, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst with a Happy Ending, Coffee Shops, Death, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Halloween, M/M, Magic, Minor Violence, Pumpkin carving, alternate universe - mages, pumpkin carving shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:21:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26450308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JostenlovesMinyard/pseuds/JostenlovesMinyard
Summary: Neil Josten is on the run. He's running from his father and his army of mages, suppressing his magic in the hopes they can't track him down.One day, he happens to be sleeping outside a cafe, run by Bee, a lady with the ability to cloak magic from tracking spells, and Andrew Minyard, who Neil is intrigued by straight away.Neil and Andrew grow closer during his stay, sharing secrets and magic. When his father's men come knocking, Neil puts everything on the line to protect his friends but will it pay off or will he lose the one person he loves more than anything?
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38
Collections: AFTG Exchange Fall 2020





	Pink and Purple

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Punchsomeoneforme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Punchsomeoneforme/gifts).



> Here's my Fic for the AFTG Fall Exchange 2020! My gift is for @punchsomeoneforme-willyou over on Tumblr!  
> A magical coffee shop AU!  
> I'm super proud of it and I had so much fun writing it! I hope everyone enjoys it!

Neil had always liked Fall. He loved the colours splattered on the ground from the fallen leaves and the weather that was neither too hot nor too cold. However, Halloween was his favourite part of Fall. The amount of magical energy that surged around on the holiday was the perfect cover for Neil. Being on the run meant his powers had to be concealed at all times. Halloween was the one night he could let go and be himself. The energy coming from the world that night was enough to conceal anything, let alone Neil’s pitiful magic skills. A mage’s magic slowly grows within them when they're young. The magic given to them can stem from all sorts of different fragmental pieces of the universe. Neil’s power came from the earth. He could manipulate its energy and the things it grew, whether that be trees or the ground he stood on. His mother’s magic was protective. She could create barriers of protection, healing and soothing magic. When he was younger she would use her powers to soothe his nerves and help him sleep. He missed her magic. He'd run from his father's abuse the first chance he'd gotten. She'd given him an opening and shouted for him to run and never look back. Back then he was Nathaniel Wesninski. Since then he'd changed his name countless times. Three years on the run and he'd settled with Neil Josten, aged 21, (he was actually 21 but he saw no problem in keeping his real birthday). Neil’s father had one of the most powerful sources of magic known to man. Eldritch magic gave him the ability to mind-bend and manipulate anything. He used it to force people to bend to his will, use them against others, and use everything they thought they knew to take them down. 

A more common form of magic was the ability to track other magical beings. Neil’s father had a large abundance of tracking mages at his disposal. The more tracking mages, the larger the search wave will be. Neil hadn’t properly used his powers in 5 years in fear of them tracking him down, his magic was susceptible to tracking spells. His powers usually left a trace on the earth around it. However, every year on Halloween he carved a pumpkin. He used his powers to manipulate a silhouette of a young boy and his mother holding hands into a pumpkin he would find on a local pumpkin patch. He hoped his mother was still alive and she could sense his gift. He would use it to keep wherever he was sleeping that night alight. As soon as Halloween was over, he pushed his powers deep into the earth's core, ripping apart the pumpkin he used, ridding the world of the very idea of that particular pumpkin, ridding it of the seed it was grown from, the dirt it was grown in and praying this wasn’t the year his father’s men caught on to his little pumpkin act. Every magic left a trace but carving a pumpkin was a pretty obscure thing to use your powers on, however, he wouldn’t put it past his father’s men to have memorized the essence of his magic by now. He wasn’t sure that was possible but if anyone could do it, it was his father.

The week before Halloween, he found himself in a small town called Palmetto, full of everyday folk, no signs of mages. He was currently sleeping rough around the back of a coffee shop called 'The Black Cat'. The awning at the back meant he was sheltered from the lashing rain that had begun to haunt him every night. It was around seven in the evening, the coffee shop usually closed around five if Neil’s internal clock was correct. He was about to search through the trash to see if there was any edible food when he heard a small noise coming from a bush near to the back door. He made an effort to listen and heard the tiniest meow. Kneeling down on the concrete, he looked under the bush to find a small tortoiseshell kitten huddled there. It hissed as soon as it saw Neil and he laughed quietly at the cuteness.  
“Hey there.” He said, not caring if anyone saw him. “You ok in there?” He asked, not expecting a response. His powers may connect him to the earth but he still wasn’t able to speak to the animals on it. The kitten opened his mouth wide and let out the fiercest meow it could muster. “Oh wow, you’re very scary,” Neil assured the little lion. He looked at the kitten’s tiny paws and noticed it was stuck on the brambles of the bush. He was concerned only for a second before he realized he was probably the best person this little kitten could have asked help from. “Don’t worry, I got you.” He said, pushing his hand down onto the concrete. He closed his eyes and felt the branches of the bush twined around the kitten’s paw. He imagined he was undoing a knot, pulling more energy up from the core and into the bush, the branches untwisted and freed the kitten who sprung free out of the bush and right onto Neil’s lap. “There you go little one!” Neil beamed and then realized his own mistake. “Shit! I used my powers!” He muttered to the small bundle of fur.   
“You wasted them on a kitten? How cliche.” A voice came from behind him. The kitten jumped off Nei as he shot up, holding a small knife behind his back that he’d pulled from his sleeve. The man in front of him didn’t look like one of his father’s men, in fact he was holding a bag of trash from the cafe. He couldn’t have been more than 5 feet tall, blonde, and well, pretty ripped to put it lightly. Neil flashed his eyes to the alley leading to the main street and debated making a run for it.    
“Somebody looking for you?” The stranger spoke again and Neil growled.  
“What’s it to you?” He replied, viciously, and to add to the confrontation, it started raining. The stranger sighed, looking upwards.   
“Because our cafe is a safe place. Nobody can track you here.” He huffed and Neil cocked his head. “If you want to keep camping out under the awning feel free but you can come get a coffee on the house if you want to know more.” The blonde man continued and Neil nodded slowly. He followed the stranger into the cafe and felt gentle warmth overcome him. He sighed and shivered slightly at how cozy it was in the cafe. “What’s your name?” The blonde asked him but Neil just narrowed his eyes. “Fine. I’m Andrew Minyard. This is my cafe.” Andrew said, rolling his eyes. Neil nodded again in acknowledgment.  
“Neil.” He finally said. “Thanks for letting me in.” It was Andrew’s turn to nod.   
“No problem and I meant what I said. Nobody can find you here.”    
“Is it like...invisible…?”   
“Are you fucking dumb? No of course it’s not.”    
“Oh.”   
“My foster mother, Bee, she’s a mage too. Her powers create a shield around the place. It's your average coffee shop but it’s annulled from tracking magic.”   
“Wow!” Neil exclaimed. “Is she able to heal people? My mom could do that.”   
“Yeah, she’s great.”    
“So was my mom,” Neil said wistfully. He felt the room drop in temperature slightly and the lights took more of a blue tinge. He looked at Andrew, confused. Andrew must have clocked on because he apologized.  
“Sorry, that’s me.” He explained and Neil raised an eyebrow needing a little more information than that. Andrew sighed.   
“I feel other’s emotions, if they feel very strongly about something my powers tend to rid some of the excess emotion into the space around me. When you walked in, Bee was drinking tea on the couch upstairs, hence the coziness.”    
“Oh wow, that’s amazing. What about your emotions? Do they affect your powers too?” Andrew frowned slightly, looking a the floor.   
“No, I struggle to feel them, or understand what I’m feeling anyway.” He mumbled and Neil hummed in understanding. “What about you? Is your power saving little kittens?” Andrew inquired, clearly changing the subject. Neil rolled his eyes.   
“I borrow energy from the earth. It helps me manipulate things. I can also use the energy as shock waves so if you want me to knock you off your feet just lemme know.” He said and realized that perhaps that could be taken in a flirty manner but Andrew didn’t seem phased.   
“Huh, nice.” Was all he said back and Neil gave him a thumbs up, awkwardly. Andrew raised an eyebrow at him but turned to make him some coffee. 

“It's your lucky day, We closed a couple of hours ago so you have the cafe to yourself which I’m sure you’ll be happy about.”   
“I am, thank you. I’m very grateful.” Neil assured and smiled at the other man. Andrew’s lips curled up slightly and then returned to a neutral expression. Neil was about to ask if he could stay the night when a lady who Neil guessed to be in her 50’s, walked down the stairs in the back of the cafe. He assumed this must be Bee   
“Hello! Are you a friend of Andrew’s?” She asked warmly to Neil, he side-eyed Andrew, waiting to see if he was going to step in but he was examining his nails.  
“Um, kind of ma’am, he’s letting me hide in here.” He said and her face took on a look of concern.  
“Who are you hiding from? You’re safe under my protection anyway.” She assured and Neil smiled.   
“Oh well, my father. He’s...not very nice. um, my mother actually has the same powers as you.” He said, hoping to change the subject away from his father. Bee either didn’t notice the evasion or didn’t care because she smiled at him.

"How lovely! Here, I can help you relax.” She said, gesturing for him to follow her into the seating area of the cafe. Andrew shooed him away so he sped up to catch up with her. He took a seat at one of the tables.  “Is your mother no longer with us?” Bee asked.  
"I don't know. She told me to run from my father while she stayed to fend him off. I don't know if she made it out or not." He replied, honestly. Bee gently laid her hand on his shoulder and he was engulfed with memories of his mother. The magic was so similar he sighed and closed his eyes, reveling in the feeling of maternal love and protection. When Bee took her hand off her he noticed the room was raining and he himself was crying. He looked over to Andrew who shrugged.    
“I don’t want your sadness.” He said holding his hands up. Bee tutted at him and she gently laid her hand on Andrew’s shoulder instead, until the room stopped raining. He thanked her and gave Neil his coffee.  “Subtly flavored with rainwater.” He said, sarcastically and Neil laughed. The room flashed pink and purple for a moment before returning to normal. Bee giggled quietly to herself whilst Andrew frowned with a huff.   
“You have quite the effect on Andrew’s power, Neil.” She said, stifling another laugh when Andrew glared at her. Neil just cocked his head.   
“Do I?”   
“It’s because you're an emotional wreck, clearly.” he huffed but Bee just scoffed.   
“Don’t listen to him, he’s drunk too much coffee.” She told Neil and Andrew squawked in protest, making Neil giggle. The room lit up again and both Neil and Bee burst into laughter. Neil hadn’t felt this happy in years. It felt so good to laugh. It didn’t help that Andrew was reminding him of the feisty kitten from the alley. When he told him as much the warning glare he received just proved his point even more. “How long will you be staying, Neil?” Bee asked him, taking a sip of Andrew’s coffee, he projected his glare at her instead.   
“Oh, I don’t know, until I can think of another safe place I guess?”   
“You can stay here as long as you need.” She smiled warmly at him.  
“Thank you, that’s very kind of you.”  
“You’ll have to sleep on the couch if that’s ok with you?” Andrew spoke up and Neil tried to hide his excitement. He’d been sleeping on dirt and cold floors for months on end and they were asking if a couch was ok? A couch was a gift from the Gods.

That evening, Andrew showed Neil upstairs.  “My room is just through there,” he pointed to a room at the end of a small corridor, “The bathroom is just there.” this time he pointed to a small room at the back of the apartment. Neil nodded, showing he understood, and held out his arms as Andrew passed him a fluffy blanket and a pillow. “The pillow is one of mine so, sorry if it’s not overly clean,” he mumbled.   
“Oh no worries, I’ve slept on a lot worse, believe me.” He replied and Andrew raised an eyebrow at him. Neil felt himself blush.   
“So, does Bee live here too?”   
“Yeah, It’s convenient for both of us,” He pointed to a room Neil assumed was Bee’s, “So I never saw the point of moving out. I'm only twenty one anyway so it's not too humiliating,”  
“Aww bet you just wanna be with your mommy.” Neil teased and laughed at Andrew’s drawn-out eye roll. He slumped down on the couch, Andrew joined him and turned on the TV.   
“So, why is your Dad after you?”   
“Oh...well he...wants my power.”   
“What’s so special about your powers?” Andrew questioned, Neil sighed.  
“Nothing really, he’s just power-hungry. He wants to get rid of me so I can’t help anyone take him down and he’ll have even more power because of it.”   
“How the hell can he take your powers?”  
“He has a whole army of mages that dabble in Dark Magic, he can do anything.”  Andrew let out a low whistle and Neil nodded solemnly.   
“Well, you’re safe here.” Andrew reminded him and Neil smiled. He saw Andrew look at his mouth and the room lit up purple again.    
“Why do your powers do that?”   
“When I absorb strong emotions, I can’t always contain them all. they leak out and affect wherever I am.”   
“So I’m more emotional than the regular person?” Neil’s brow scrunched in confusion.   
“Not exactly,” Andrew said, looking off to the side.  
“So your powers just...like me?”    
“Maybe.” He resigned. Neil smiled again.  
“Awesome!” He said, “Make the room flash again.” He ordered. Andrew’s answering glare made him smile again.  
“I can’t do it on command, laugh again. “ Andrew demanded.  
“I can’t do it on command.” Neil mocked, “ _Make_ me laugh.” He stuck his tongue out. Andrew scooted closer to him.    
“Can I touch you, yes or no?” Neil thought for a moment and then nodded. Andrew gently tickled Neil’s ribs and he recoiled laughing. The room lit up pink and purple once again, Neil’s giggling died down and e watched the swirls of colour light up Andrew’s face.   
“Cheater.” He said and Andrew shrugged. Neil watched as he stood up and checked the time.   
“I’m gonna head to bed, see you in the morning.” he even gave him a little wave. Neil saw him cringe at that.   
“Good night, Andrew.” He replied with a smile. 

  
  
Neil spent the next few days helping around the coffee shop. Andrew mainly bossed him around just to annoy him but Neil enjoyed himself regardless. This kind of domesticity had seemed so out of reach up until a week ago. Now he was pouring coffee for people, washing dishes and watching Andrew bake the goodies they sold at the front counter. Neil’s powers were allowed to stretch their legs for the first time in years and he was reminded of the thrill it gave him to let go of the pent up energy he was absorbing from his surroundings. He sprouted small flowers for Bee to arrange in the house, a single rose for Andrew, and fresh herbs to use in Andrew’s baking. Neil didn’t know why he’d given Andrew the rose. He’d associated the bright pink colour with Andrew’s magic and the blush that so often stained his freckled cheeks. The decision had been a last-minute one. He’d been allowed to stay at the Minyard-Dobson household for 6 days and he already felt like they were his family. When he held the rose out to Andrew he snatched it off him, a kiss on the cheek instead of a thank you. Neil couldn’t forget the feeling of dizzying happiness especially when he saw the room flash with Andrew’s magic. The small smile Andrew gave him was the best gift Neil had ever received.

The night before Halloween, Bee came through the back door carrying 3 large bags. Neil peaked in as soon as they were put down on the counter and raised an eyebrow when he saw they were pumpkins. Andrew wandered in after having locked the front of the cafe for the night. Bee ruffled his hair and brought over some kitchen utensils. Two knives, two rather large spoons, and two big glass bowls. “Right boys, I was thinking, as it’s Halloween tomorrow, we can carve some pumpkins for decoration, then use the insides and seeds in our baking in the morning!" Neil smiled and nodded. He loved the idea of pumpkin muffins, cakes and drinks. Andrew shrugged and nodded in agreement and Bee pointed at the tools and pumpkins she’d bought. “Get to it then!” She said with a wink and headed up the stairs to their apartment. Andrew huffed and Neil shook his head fondly. He wasn’t stupid, Bee was clearly trying to get him and Andrew alone. Neil wasn’t going to say no to that. He enjoyed Andrew’s company and if Andrew’s inability to control his powers around him was anything to go by, Andrew just might enjoy being around him too. He hoped so anyway. The two boys began the arduous task of carving the five pumpkins Bee had purchased and ‘scooping out the guts’ as Andrew put it. Neil was covered in pumpkin guts as soon as he started, he shook his hand to rid it of the sticky substance when he saw Andrew flinch. A chunk of the pumpkin flesh had flicked from Neil’s hand, right onto Andrew’s cheek, he gulped as Andrew slowly reached up and swiped it off, staring at the orange monstrosity. Before he could react, Andrew reached into his glass bowl and threw a hand full of the pumpkin flesh at Neil, It stuck on his cheek and flew up into his hair, an embarrassing scream left his mouth at the horror of it all. He looked over at Andrew and saw a smirk gracing his lips.   
“Oh, it’s on, Blondie,” Neil growled playfully. He scooped the mixture out of his bowl and threw it right back at Andrew. His hair became an orange mess, a bright contrast to his almost white hair, he sneered and launched another counter-attack at Neil, this time covering his nose and even sliding down his front, under his shirt. He shrieked again.   
“No! This is my favourite shirt you monster!” He said, laughter bubbling out. The room flashed Violet again just as Neil threw some more ammo at Andrew's chest. It hit his shirt, creating a huge stain. There was silence for a minute until Andrew laughed quietly, Neil joined in and the two were laughing uncontrollably in under a minute. Neil sent a small shock wave out and the pumpkin guts and the pumpkin itself slowly returned to its original form however, the sticky feeling remained all over them both. Andrew looked mesmerized at the reformed pumpkin and ran his fingers along it as if he was checking if that had really happened.  
“I can just use my powers to carve them if you want?” Neil asked and Andrew gestured at the pumpkin as nonverbal consent. Neil closed his eyes, seeing the fibers holding the pumpkin together, He rearranged them, making shapes and patterns that he’d never have been able to carve with a knife. When he was done with the first one, a clean bowl of pumpkin guts next to it, he opened his eyes to admire his handy work. A fox and a cat sat next to each other under a crescent moon.   
“Wow,” Andrew said with genuine amazement. Neil smiled shyly.  
“It’s like us, you’re the cat, I’m the fox!” He said enthusiastically. Andrew snorted and shook his head. They were silent for a moment, Neil was focused on carving the next pumpkin. He could feel the earth’s power flowing through him freely for the first time in a long time. It gave him energy and purpose. He never wanted this to stop but knew the time was coming when he’d have to choose between accidentally exposing the coffee shop to his father’s people or running again. He couldn't do that to Bee, and Andrew. His blonde companion spoke up just as Neil’s pumpkin began shifting and maneuvering into the shape he wanted.  
“My family is coming tomorrow. It’s sort of a Halloween tradition.”   
“Oh? Who’s your family then?” Neil asked, raising a brow without taking his eyes off the orange lump.  
“Well, my cousin, Nicky Hemmick, he’s a lot but he means well. There’s Abby, David and their son, Kevin. They’re not direct family but they looked after Bee when she had nobody else, before me of course,” Neil nodded and smiled, gesturing him to continue, “then er...there’s my twin brother. Aaron.” Andrew said, a long sigh indicating the strains of brotherhood. Neil laughed at him.  
“You have a twin? Identical…?”   
“Unfortunately. He’s my exact double.”   
“Wow! Awesome!” Neil said, he held back laughter when he saw Andrew’s narrowed eyes and lip twitch.  
“He’s annoying.”   
“He’s a brother. That’s how it works.” Andrew just rolled his eyes and shoved Neil playfully. The two stared at each other for a while, Neil looked at Andrew’s sticky clothes and then looked at his own. “We’re a mess.” Andrew nodded, “Maybe we should change before doing the rest?” He suggested. Andrew eyed him up and down. Neil suddenly felt very hot, a blush decorating his face.  
“You could just take your shirt off?” Andrew deadpanned and Neil let out an embarrassing squeak and Andrew smirked. “I’m teasing you Neil.” he snorted. Neil smiled at him. The space between them had somehow gotten smaller. His fingers twitched to reach out for Andrew’s hand. He felt their palms slide together and held in a breath as Andrew moved even closer. He looked into Andrew’s hazel eyes, as bright as molten lava. They were so close Neil could feel Andrew’s breath on his lips. “Can I kiss you?” Andrew whispered and Neil couldn’t get his ‘yes’ out quick enough. As soon as he did he felt their lips connect, moving gently in time with each other. Andrew’s magic lit the room up with shades of gold and rich purple, sending sparks and shivers down Neil’s spine. Neil suddenly had a moment of panic thinking maybe he’d accidentally sprout a flower on Andrew’s lips or something. When they pulled back he saw a small, indigo coloured orchid, tucked behind his ear. He must have materialized it when he’d tucked Andrew’s short side curls behind his ear, mid-kiss. Andrew was looking at him, hazel eyes swirled with gold, their breathing intermixed.   
“That was…” Neil began, trailing off. He couldn’t fathom any words that would be able to sum up what just happened.   
“A kiss?” Andrew supplied and Neil let out a breathy laugh.   
“A kiss,” He confirmed, reaching up and unhooking the orchid from Andrew’s ear. “You affect my magic too.” He whispered, Andrew smiled gently at him.    
“I guess I do.” And with that, their lips met once again.   
  


Aaron and Nicky appeared around noon the next day. Nicky took one look at Neil and swept him up into a big hug. He was bombarded with questions almost immediately.   
“It’s so good to meet you! So, where are you from? How long are you staying? What are your powers?!” Nicky didn’t stop to breathe, about to start another onslaught of questions until an exact copy of Andrew cleared his throat. Neil knew it wasn’t Andrew because of the clothing he was wearing. Andrew didn’t wear blue coloured shirts. Aaron Minyard stood next to his cousin and held a hand out for Neil to shake. Neil took his hand.   
“Sorry about him. He’s like an over-excited puppy.” He apologized. Nicky squawked next to him, Neil shook his head.   
“It’s ok, honestly. To answer your questions: I was born in Baltimore, I’m staying as long as I’m welcome and my power stems from elemental magic, specifically earth magic.”   
“That’s so cool! Wow! My magic can manipulate objects!” Nicky explained, Neil nodded and waited for Nicky to continue. “Aaron can block out emotions!” He informed wich Neil found very intriguing.    
“The opposite of Andrew.” He stated and Aaron nodded. Huh, awesome. Betsy headed into the kitchen to greet everyone just as Kevin, David and Abby walked in. They introduced themselves to Neil, asking their own questions. Bee had clearly told them about the runaway that’d turned up on their doorstep. They were kind people. However, Kevin became quite stand-offish as soon as he realized Neil’s magic was elemental. Evidently so was his, except his stemmed from the air. Neil received a lot of passive-aggressive tips on “Bettering” his magic. Whatever that meant. Andrew assured him Kevin was uptight about everything he could have an opinion on so Neil decided to ignore him. They all headed upstairs. Bee, Abby and David were going out for the evening, leaving the others behind to watch scary movies apparently. Andrew had set the living room up perfectly. All the lights were out, curtains and blinds drawn and plenty of pillows and blankets scattered around the room, a few tea lights illuminating the creepy shadows around the apartment. Perfect horror movie atmosphere. Nicky began screaming before the movie had even begun, clinging to Kevin’s arm for dear life. Andrew reminded Nicky he was twenty-six and engaged, Kevin reminded Nicky he was twenty-four and straight. Neil struggled to see the relevance of any of that. Aaron took up the couch to himself, stretching across it and occasionally annoying Andrew with a wet finger in his ear from his vantage point. It earned him a punch to the stomach every time but Aaron's brotherly instinct to annoy his twin was clearly too strong to be deterred. Andrew and Neil cuddled up together, leaning on the couch, sharing a big, fluffy blanket. ‘IT’ began playing on the big screen and they settled in for a night of jumpscares and popcorn spilling. 

Three hours into their horror film binge, the candles began flickering. A breeze sweeping the apartment and making Neil shudder. Kevin looked over at him, frowning.    
“Anyone else feel that?” He questioned, Nicky paused the film.  
“I thought it was you,” Aaron said. Kevin shook his head right as the curtains flew open. Nicky let out a high pitched scream, covering his mouth when Andrew hissed at him to shut up. Neil made his way over to the window, looking out into the dark street below. He stopped breathing when he noticed a familiar face staring right back at him. His father. He fell to the floor, breathing heavily, eyes wide. His mind was screaming for him to get out but where could he go? Andrew was by his side in an instant, followed by the others.   
“We need to hide. Now. We’re all dead but at least we can prolong it.” He gasped out. Aaron let out a strangled cry.   
“Are you serious?! Who is it?!”    
“My father and his men. He’ll kill us all. You guys need to hide. He might not know all of you are here. Hide before he sees you!” Neil cried, desperately trying to push Andrew off him. He wasn’t going to let Andrew die. Perhaps he could bargain with his father. Neil’s life for theirs. The problem was, Neil’s father wasn’t one for sparing lives. Tears filled his eyes. “Andrew,  _ please !  Please _ hide!”   
“I’m not leaving you, idiot. We’re gonna get through this, together.” He replied, sternly though his throat bobbed with nerves. The cafe doors flung open, Neil heard the hit the floor. His lungs closed up, grabbing Andrew’s shirt he made one last attempt to beg them to leave.   
“PLEASE! GO!” The stairs creaked and he heard his father whistling happily as he walked up to the apartment. His father appeared suddenly, across the room, his men standing behind him, Lola, his right-hand woman, standing just behind him on his left.

“Nathaniel, my only son and my greatest disappointment!” He said, arms out as if he was waiting for Neil to un up and hug him. Neil stayed silent, averting his eyes.  
"Who the fuck is Nathaniel?" Nicky whispered, Aaron elbowed him to shut up.  
“I said, Hello.”   
“H-hello, sir.” He forced out, finally looking up, staring into his father’s dead-looking eyes. He was grinning, a sick, twisted smile.  
"Did you really think this pathetic little cafe could hide you from me? This power is inconsequential compared to mine. I thought I raised you to be smarter than this!" his father said, feigning disappointment. He was looking at Neil’s friend’s, his eyes falling on Andrew who’d hand was on Neil’s leg.  “Someone special, Nathaniel? How precious.” Andrew growled at him. “Oh dear, that's very rude. I’m his father you know?”   
“I’m well aware of who you are and how twisted you are too.” He spat, Neil’s father laughed, booming laughter that caused Neil to flinch.    
“Enough talk, I think I’ll kill your little love interest first, Nathaniel. Maybe that’ll teach you for running from me, then I-” He was cut off by a gust of wind.   
“Cover yourselves!” Kevin cried as the roof caved in and Nicky held his hands out to turn the falling roof shards into sand. Neil shot up. His father and his men were temporarily crushed in the roof debris. 

“We need to move! They’ll be free soon! Nicky, can you make the floor into a staircase?” a nod of confirmation was all he needed, “Ok, send us down to the cafe floor.” He demanded and Nicky twisted the beams and floorboards until a stairway was created. They ran down, shutting the blinds and shutters when they reached the cafe floor.    
“Shall we call my parents and Bee?” Kevin asked, voice filled with panic. Neil shook his head.    
“He’ll have his men surrounding the building. Anyone caught trying to come in will be killed.” Neil told him. “They won’t be back for a couple more hours. Let’s just hope we’re all still alive by then.” Andrew came to stand by Neil.    
“We need a plan.” He stated. Neil’s mind began to spin with possible escape routes and exits. None of them were viable. They needed to make a stand. An idea suddenly popped into his head.   
“Ok, Aaron. You need to shut off everyone's emotions. My father can get in people’s heads. If you shut down our emotions, they can’t use it against us. Andrew, you work with your brother, use their emotions against them, get in their heads instead. Nicky, manipulate any and every object they try and use against us. Try and stick them in the floor or the walls. Anything to immobilize them! Kevin, take the air from their lungs, create vortexes. Anything you can think of to bring them down! I’ll go after my father.” He ended his monologue just as he heard a slam come from upstairs. “GO! GET INTO POSITIONS!” Neil shouted at them, Andrew and Aaron stood back to back, making sure they covered each other's weaknesses, both carrying a sharp piece of metal that Nicky had formed for them. Kevin shielded himself and Nicky in a swirling wind, Nicky manipulating the air molecules to burn red hot. Neil dug deep down into the earth’s core. The magma shooting down his arms, resting as red hot balls in his palms. This was their last stand. If this plan failed. That was it. They were dead.

A hole appeared on the ceiling above and the intruders jumped down, magic gleaming around them. Neil’s father stood taller than them all. He looked furious. Perfect hair now ruined, face red with rage.  
“Now you all die!” He roared and their plan began. He felt his father try to penetrate his mind but Aaron’s powers shut them down. He cut off certain feelings and emotions that stemmed from negativity and anger. Neil looked over at Andrew. His face was strained, hands out as he sent bolts of angry looking surges of magic in waves towards the onslaught of aggressors. Neil shot his balls of magma at his fathers who melted them instantly. He cursed when he landed on his knee funny, dodging a counter-attack. His father’s men were lagging behind, a couple had fallen victim to Andrew and Aaron’s joint effort. Nicky manipulated the floor into restraints to keep them out of action. He was now focussing on restraining the hands of the other men so Kevin could steal the wind from their lungs.  
Lola ran at Neil suddenly. He couldn’t disengage from his father fast enough. She was reaching out for him when Andrew leaped in front of him, knocking her clean onto the floor. They wrestled around for a minute longer until Andrew came out on top, plunging the sword at her. She stopped struggling as soon as he pulled the sword out. Dead.   
Neil’s father shot freezing cold ice into Neil’s lungs, he couldn’t breathe for a minute, his throat closing up. The last wave of his men’s magic was dying down. Aaron focused his energy on Neil’s father. Shutting down his ability to use emotion fuelled magic. Andrew used Neil’s anger and rage to overpower the man’s thoughts and Kevin surrounded him in a vortex of strong wind. Nicky crafted a blade using the molten core Neil’s powers were using and handed it to him. Neil heaved himself up and walked over to his father, vortex parting in his wake. He sprouted vines to keep him still, looked him in the eyes and smiled.   
“I’ve been waiting a long time for this.” He spat and plunged the dagger deep into his father’s chest. “Goodbye, you sick son of a bitch. I hope you rot in hell.” he finished as the life flickered from his father's cold, blue eyes. He slumped to the floor and Neil stumbled back, breath coming out in short bursts. It was over. His father’s mages all captured and his father finally dead. Their plan had worked by some miracle and they were all f-  
  
“ANDREW!” He heard Aaron shout from behind him. He swiveled around just in time to see Andrew collapse into his brother’s arms. Neil ran over, throwing himself to the floor.  
“Andrew?! What’s wrong?! What happened?!”   
“L-Lola,” He broke off with a cough, “S-she...urgh..she’s shut m-my sys-system down. I-I can’t move, Neil.” he choked out. Neil felt hot tears prickle his eyes. Nicky was pacing behind him, repeatedly crying out for him to be ok. Kevin was calling the Mage headquarters of America to tell them what had happened. Aaron’s eyes were blurred with tears.   
“What do we do?! I can’t feel his emotions! He’s dying Neil!” He despaired. Neil had no energy left. He couldn’t think straight. His brain was clogged with emotion. He looked at Andrew, his hazel eyes dimming.    
“Andrew I-”   
“It’s ok, Neil. It was worth it to save you.”  
“I-I love you! More than anything!” Neil sobbed, Andrew smiled gently, the room flickering with a gentle hue of pink and purple.   
“I love you too, so much.” He managed to get out, barely a whisper. Neil scrunched his eyes closed, tears falling freely. Andrew’s eyes fluttered shut, letting out one last breath. The four boys gathered around him each one grieving silently. Neil couldn’t breathe. They were all silent for a while, waiting for the members of the Headquarters to arrive, sharing tears and sobs. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Andrew’s lips before resting his forehead on Andrew’s defeatedly.   
  
Neil heard a slight gasp, looking up he saw Andrew’s eyes fluttering gently behind the lids.    
“Holy shit, holy shit! Andrew?!” Neil tried, desperately. The blonde’s eyes opened gently, he coughed and grabbed onto Neil.   
“What happened?” He asked, voice groggy as if he’d just woken up from a nap.  
“YOU DIED! THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED!” Aaron cried, eyes wide with surprise and confusion.  
“Neil did you...kiss Andrew back to life?” Kevin questioned, “Can your powers...do that?!” Neil thought for a while, he’d never had to bring anyone back to life before.   
“You kissed me?” Andrew asked slowly. Neil blushed.  
“Uh, yes?” he hesitated slightly, “I was heartbroken!” He said, honestly.   
“Aw, you have a crush on me, that’s so embarrassing.” Andrew teased and Neil rolled his eyes fondly. He helped Andrew stand up slowly.  
“Perhaps, because your powers are connected to the earth’s energy, you gave some of it to Andrew?” Aaron suggested and Kevin nodded in agreement.   
“I guess so!” Neil replied.    
“Well, we survived. Somehow.” Andrew said. Neil burst out laughing and the room flashed pink and purple.

**_  
6 months later..._ **

  
Neil opened the door to his and Andrew’s apartment. He placed the grocery bags on the kitchen counter and made his way over to the couch where Andrew was laying. He leaned over the arm of the chair for an upside-down kiss in lieu of hello.   
“You’re back,” Andrew observed.  
“I missed you.” Neil winked at him.  
“You were gone for fifteen minutes.”   
“Exactly!” Another kiss. And another, and a few more after that. Domestic bliss settled in Neil’s chest. He couldn’t believe how far they’d come. The night that Neil’s father had attacked them, the Mages from Headquarters had arrived, taken away the men that were still alive and thanked the group for taking down the biggest threat to magekind. They assured them there would be a trial and there would be consequences for the men that had a hand in all this. Neil was just relieved it was finally over. His father’s corpse and Lola’s body had been taken away to be buried in an unmarked grave.   
  
The cafe had been less fortunate. Bee, Abby and David had rushed home to a caved roof and a destroyed cafe interior. It was upsetting, to say the least however everything had turned out perfectly. Bee and Andrew had split the insurance money. According to the insurance company, the building interior was very weak and damaged which must have destroyed the roof. They were also given compensation by the Mage Headquarters for their efforts in taking down the Wesninski crime family. Bee had retired to a small bungalow a few blocks away from where the cafe had been. Andrew had purchased a small building with an apartment above it, similar to the original cafe. He’d asked Neil to move in with him and the two had opened up the ‘Which Witch?’ Cafe. Kevin worked in the kitchen, baking goods. Andrew worked the front and Neil dealt with the money and numbers to keep the cafe going. Nicky and Aaron were regular customers. Aaron had used his share of the cash to fund his medical school studies alongside his girlfriend, Katelyn. Nicky was opening a party planning business with his share and was hoping to move to Germany with his fiancee Eric. Neil had asked the investigators at the Headquarters about his Mother. They informed him she’d died three years ago, making a final stand against his father. He should have felt sad and angry but he knew that’s what she would have wanted, rather than suffering under his rule.    
  
A small meow brought Neil back to the present. His and Andrew’s cats, Sir and King were both looking at them from the floor. Neil walked around and collapsed on the couch, cuddling up alongside his boyfriend. Andrew kissed his forehead, gently carding his fingers through his auburn curls. Neil had nearly lost Andrew but their magic had been so intertwined he’d been able to use them to kick start his heart again. Aaron would make fun of them for believing in the whole ‘soulmate’ trope but Neil couldn’t help but believe it to be true. He’d give his life for Andrew, he’d saved his life and he’d saved Andrew’s. Neil never thought he would settle down with somebody but by some twist of fate, he’d landed on his feet. He looked at Andrew, smiling blissfully at him. He leaned down and kissed him, a slow, meaningful kiss, he hoped it would project everything he was feeling right now. He knew it had as soon as he saw the familiar glow of pink and purple light up the room. Andrew blushed and shrugged his shoulders causing Neil to laugh at him. He snuggled down for a cozy night in with the love of his life, Andrew’s arms surrounding him like a safety net. He sighed contently, letting his eyes close to the comforting sight of pink and purple.

**Author's Note:**

> There you have it! I've never written anything like this before so I hope it's readable!  
> If you enjoyed it perhaps I'll do something similar one day!  
> Thanks for reading!


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